MMK produces 650 millionth tonne of pig iron
While congratulating the employees of the blast furnace shop on reaching this milestone, MMK CEO Pavel Shilyaev noted that this significant achievement is the result of the combined efforts of several generations of MMK’s blast furnace operators: these people forged a reputation for the plant during the first Five Year Plans; during the harsh war years, they spared no effort in casting metal and launching the largest blast furnaces in Europe; they worked for the good of the country in peacetime; and today, their hard work makes MMK’s blast furnace shop one of the largest and most effective in the Russian metallurgical industry.
The first blast furnace at MMK became operational on 1 February 1932, and since then this date is celebrated as MMK’s birthday. Today, MMK’s blast furnace shop, consisting of 8 furnaces with an annual output of 10 million tonnes of pig iron, is one of the largest blast furnace shops in the countries, with the stability of all of the plant’s other production facilities depending on its steady work. In the last few years, most of the blast furnaces received comprehensive upgrades. In renewing the blast furnaces, the plant pays significant attention to their ecological aspects and the installation of modern air filtering systems. Since 2013, MMK has carried out serious overhauls and reconstruction of the casting beds in blast furnaces No. 6, 9, 10 and 1. A system of closed drains with a casting bed dust collector system and a stock-conveyor system was installed, as well as modern hydraulic equipment for pig iron production. Thanks to this upgrade, pollution of the atmosphere was significantly reduced, and conditions for workers were improved.
In July 2020, reconstruction works on blast furnace No.2 were completed, where, besides a casting bed dust collector system exactly like in blast furnace No.1, the construction of the furnace’s cooling system was overhauled. Instead of vertical plated cast iron coolers near the shoulders and the tuyere, horizontal copper coolers were installed.
The construction of a new blast furnace No. 11 – with a working volume of 3800 m3 and an output of 3.7 million tonnes of pig iron a year – will serve as another breakthrough for MMK’s blast furnace production. This furnace, set to launch in 2025, will incorporate the best available technologies. It will house a system of casting bed dust collectors and stock houses with a production volume of 2 million m3/hour and residual dust content of 10 mg/m3. A blast furnace gas filtration system and a blast furnace slag granulation system will also be installed. The furnace will be equipped with a local reverse cycle water supply system. A recycling steam-blowing power station will be built, enabling the facilities to use pulverised coal injection technology. The introduction of the new blast furnace will enable the plant to shut down 3 existing furnaces and reduce emissions by 6.6 thousand tonnes a year.